The General, American silent comedy film, released in 1927, starring and directed by comedian Buster Keaton, and cited by many film historians as one of the greatest American movies. It is set during the American Civil War (1861–65) and highlights the theme of personal redemption.
Why is The General a good movie?
Keaton's authenticity and comedic understatement make The General a surprisingly modern experience. The storytelling and the gags are free of sentimentality and knockabout clichés. The four-minute battle scene is simply one of the most gripping, and occasionally hilarious, ever filmed.18 Nov 2008
Was The General based on a true story?
The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film released by United Artists. It was inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the American Civil War. The story was adapted from the 1889 memoir The Great Locomotive Chase by William Pittenger.
What does General mean in movies?
What's happened to the G rating? In the words of the Motion Picture Association, G is for General Audiences — all ages admitted, meaning there is nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that the ratings board thinks would offend parents whose younger children view the picture.6 Jun 2013
What is The General movie about?
One of the most revered comedies of the silent era, this film finds hapless Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) facing off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. When Johnny's fiancée, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is accidentally taken away while on a train stolen by Northern forces, Gray pursues the soldiers, using various modes of transportation in comic action scenes that highlight Keaton's boundless wit and dexterity.
Is The General a slapstick comedy?
Buster Keaton's masterpiece The General (1926) is a bit of an outlier in the world of silent slapstick comedies. The film begins in classic slapstick comedy fashion with Buster Keaton, an unflappable train engineer, attempting to join the army at the beginning of the civil war to impress his girlfriend.
Who is the protagonist in The General?
Plot. Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray is in Marietta, Georgia, to see the two loves of his life—his fiancée Annabelle Lee and his locomotive, The General—when the American Civil War breaks out.
Why is Buster Keaton's character not allowed to enlist in the Confederate?
In the film, Keaton portrays Georgia native Johnnie Gray, a train engineer with similarities to the real-life train conductor William Fuller. Keaton's character, Johnnie Gray, attempts repeatedly to join the Confederate military but is turned down because he is more valuable as a locomotive engineer.
What is The General in the 1927 film?
Buster Keaton and Marion Mack in The General (1927), directed by Keaton. Keaton played Johnny Gray, the engineer of the steam engine The General, who is mistaken for a coward when he is rejected for service in the Confederate Army because he is too valuable to the South as a railway engineer.
What was the generals real name?
Martin Cahill
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